Products

Entire Thor's Rubber Hammer Catalog

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

Everything still in stock at a ridiculous price. 2 LPs, 3 cassettes, 3 CDs, 12 CDRs, 1 7".

Queen Victoria- There Will Come Soft Rains c28

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Nick Malkin of Queen Victoria shares: "Ambling along the line where song meets drone, ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’ is a delicate union of human noise, field recording and vague narrative. Six pieces of desert folk recorded with guitar, percussion, violin, keys and voice in a room colored with the distinct presence of something natural and unknowable, there and unthere. It is one ethereal document of an autumn in Los Angeles that leads Queen Victoria through examination and expression both within the frame of structure and without." Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c28 tapes with insert and double-sided jcard, cover photo by the band."

Archers by the Sea- Sometimes We Should Dance c48

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Vincent Caylet has kept us on our toes the last three years, steadily morphing his inscrutable sound and sidestepping any expectation as to where it may lead next. When this Monks of the Balhill member flies solo as “V”, The Pistil Cosmos, or Archers by the Sea as he does here, he consistently summons huge atmospheres of perplexing, unpredictable beauty. Riddled with infectious cycles of surf guitar, stoned beats, and vocal ellipses, ‘Sometimes We Should Dance’ is similar in spirit to V’s lineage of weird. And yet it can be perceived that something has also recently changed within the Archers by the Sea multiverse, and much for the better. Whether its Vincent’s recent fatherhood, the onset of a new summer in France, or the combo of both, this cassette is guided toward ecstatically dazed ends by elevating every moment into the sunlight. If ever there was a time to dance, it would be now. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c48 tapes with double-sided jcard and insert."

Xiphiidae- Iiustus / Transresonance Formation c90 + c25

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "A field-recording trip with Xiphiidae into the Florida wilderness soon provides abduction from the physical plane, blissfully suspended between-time & between-space, nearing the energetic heart of earth. ‘Iisutus’ is neither past nor future, and though one may think they’ve held or heard it, it was never here — it can only exist There. Direct apprehension of its presence eludes one throughout this 90-minute exploration of the inner-Terrestrial. Contact with ‘Iiustus’ seems only to be understood through the multiplicity of effects it has on ourselves later, quickening in deep interior realms. Following as a comparatively brief coda, ‘Transresonance Formation’ confirms mutational exposure to Xiphiidae at cell-level. In celebration, the double-helix begins to unknot & disentangle; the serpent spits its own tail from its mouth and grows brilliantly plumed wings. A year after its 1st issuing here on Stunned, ‘Transresonance Formation’ gets rescued from the medium of compact disc and is properly lodged hereon in analog fidelity, with all new artwork. Two years after its 1st issuing on Object Tapes as a home-dubbed edition of 45, we’ve taken ‘Iiustus’ and professionally transferred it to high bias chrome tape from the original master, as well as providing it artwork. Let’s just say it’s the least we can do with material of such personal connectivity & timeless essence. Limited edition set of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c90 + c25 tapes in butterfly case with double-sided jcards."

Chrome Wings- Time Patterns c30

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Nothing is exempt from evolution, and Portland’s Chrome Wings are a prime example of that principle when they take simple amoeboid sounds and swiftly sculpt them into electric body parts & sets of hi-fi feathers for the dance floor. With the magic and levity of storm clouds parting way to a rainbow or a kiss from a lover, ‘Time Patterns’ approaches unassumingly, yet leaves the listener breathless and wanting more a half-hour later. It’s a sound that’s taken Chrome Wings personal time & dedicated evolution to arrive at, obvious to all who’ve caught their recent live performances. Rhythms this juicy and soundforms this hypnotic in arrangement offer proof that we higher-primates can ascend toward the very stuff of dreams — in the club, at home, in the car, all of the above. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c30 tapes with double-sided color jcard and insert."

Sparkling Wide Pressure- Facing the Nothing World CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Frank Baugh of Sparkling Wide Pressure reports: 'This is music which reflects the inner urge, the secret fear, and the courage to look directly. Guided by moods into the true reflection of an empty world that is open. Open world. Sitting still and being one with movement. Seeing the truth reflected in hollowness. It is like saying prayers in a nothing world. Pointless and poignant.' Exacting sentiments as we see this – Stunned’s final CDr edition – out into the world & into your own intimate listening experiences. Limited edition of 111 stamped cdrs with double-sided color cover in vinyl jacket."

Lunar Miasma- Three Legged Elephant c45

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Near the center of Athens, Greece’s recent swell of experimental sound activity is Panos Alexiadis, Insult Recordings operator and former Red Needled Sea jammer. Turning a page along with his city’s recent scene, Panos is now busy at work with his analog synthesizers, prompting a name change last year to Lunar Miasma and a handful of amazing releases already on labels like Small Doses, Ruralfaune, and Basses Frequences. ‘Three Legged Elephant’ continues the wild ride with two varied sides of phase pattern play and bold synth lines signaling like lighthouse beacons from the moon. Stereo-swept arpeggios gurgle brightly underneath expertly laid fields of sine antigravity, lifting the whole affair into genuine komische ecstasy. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c45 tapes with double-sided color jcard and insert."

Mark Bradley- Sanctity CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Striate Cortex) I'm not really sure why this guy isn't the new Emeralds or something. Mark Bradley's Tangerine Dream-style synth bliss-outs are the stuff of beautiful nightmares. At the TRHP office, we have yet to be disappointed by a Mark Bradley disc. Highly recommended.

Nick Hennies- Lineal CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(SRA) "'I used these recordings [of my grandfather] in a way that not only pays tribute to an unhappy and soon to be forgotten man, but to somehow synthesize them into my own personal history and musical language. Charles Nichols was drawn to memorize and recite poems much in the same way I am drawn to bow a piece of wire on the head of a snare drum. Neither is completely rational nor are they without a clear purpose and intent. This is not a memorial to Charles Nichols; it is an homage to memory.' -Nick Hennies"

Ehnahre- Pipeline c21

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Semata) The Man Closing Up was one TRHP's favorite "combinatorial twelve tone black metal" releases of 2008 that we didn't hear until 2009. Imagine if the grimmer-than-most Khanate actually had some improv chops and you start to get an idea of Ehnahre. This radio session from 2008 strips away the violins and saxes for a not-so-naked quartet version of The Man's key movements. Highly recommended.

throuRoof- Throught the Book of Lambspring 3" CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "From vial to vial pass the sonic fluids necessary to produce throuRoof’s second chapter here in his Sacred Art of Alchemy series, which began with 2008’s much-discussed ‘Emerald Tablet of Hermes’ on Housecraft, and is set to conclude in its third & final part later this year on Thors’ Rubber Hammer. Like an ancient alchemist, throuRoof’s Antonio Gallucci synthesizes mantric sound effects with metaphysical drones, marking combinations once thought impossible. As second parts go, ‘Throught the Book of Lambspring’ is where the action settles in enough for the series’ bigger themes to emerge. Mysterious consequences take hold with this brazen elixir-brewing; before one knows it, all is a stew of indiscernible tones, guitar plucks, and haunted hums. As the piece closes on high notes of a bloomed confusion, we’re left hanging but not dissatisfied – the storyteller having led us to a most strange crest of the narrative. Limited edition of 80 hand numbered & painted 3” cdrs in case w/ double-sided color insert card." These little guys were hiding under some Oaken Throne zines. Give them a home!

Double Leopards / Sunroof! / Mouthus- Crippled Rosebud Binding 2xLP

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Music Fellowship Didn't Double Leopards reunite recently? Oh, you don't have this record? You totally should! It's out of print and all that junk. All the band collabs on one, big noise fuck-for-all on the 4th side. Don't sleep. Gatefold, black vinyl, near mint.

Landing- Gravitational IV LP

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Equation) Pymaglion-era Slowdive shoegaze goodness. Gatefold, black vinyl.

Sissy Spacek- Devils Come and Palm CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Misanthropic Agenda) Grind-static-core.

Wolf Eyes With John Wiese- Equinox CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Troniks)> Really, it's all about the dudes fuckin' around with fireworks "bonus" track.

Furze- UTD CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Candelight) Like if Darkthrone sat in their bedrooms and made a weirdo black metal album.

The Green Knight- Half Pipe cs

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Pollen Season) Originally released on CDr, here's the "official" version of Half Pipe. We put out The Eternal OM, a bong-hit of noise, in 2008, but this new collab between Jeff Rahuba (Long Legged Woman) and Doug Patterson (better people) is all ugly no-fi blackened punk rock and bummer folk. Really gnarly, gut-scraping stuff. Pro-dubbed and imprinted green tapes with xerox inserts and spraypainted cases.

Granitkorridor- III c60

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Sven Dyllus hails from Germany and is the man behind Granitkorridor’s newfound brand of concrete mystique. ‘III’ is the follow-up to Dyllus’ debut pair of catacomb-carved cassettes on the Rudio Horrible label. The Granitkorridor approach is alluringly simple and resumed here; across 6 starkly unique pieces, deep floating bass guitar riff is drawn into fields of wayward gravitational ebb & flow. Dense coil reverberation materializes a vapor trail which charts a glorious slowburn toward cosmic core. Maximal effect springs eternal from the most minimal perpetuations of tone, and these blissful sixty minutes might as well be sixty years long. Hand numbered edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c60 tapes with double-sided color jcard and insert."

Wether- Here's the Bet c32

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "In our pursuit for the most flipped out noise on the globe, we’re always brought back to the area code of 905 Tapes’ Mike Haley and his long-running project of pleasure and pain Wether. ‘Here’s the Bet’ is a mean half hour of Haley’s hot circuit purgation where sweat stings the eyes and nausea synchs in time to icicle-sharp oscillations. The uncompromisingly clinical meat locker mechanics on display here might be a punch in the gut for those uninitiated with modern devices of sonic weaponry and crowd control. But once the gauntlet of tinnitus dipped 666-pitch has been weathered on the first pass, ‘Here’s the Bet’ becomes an experience likely to be often repeated — it’s venom doesn’t seem to kill us, but only serves to make us stronger. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c32 tapes with double-sided color jcard."

Andreas Brandal- Secrets of the Snow c43

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "A silhouetted form beckons us into the darkened forests of Norway, and we follow anyway, sensing that secrets may be revealed in the thawing undergrowth. Seed and larvae which were burrowed deep all winter respond to the warming of Earth’s crust, and before one knows it, the snow rescinds to sprouting greens & creeping things. Who lead us here? How did he know this would happen now? Questions only Andreas Brandal could immediately satisfy, and does just so, on his newest tape release proudly presented here. Since the early nineties, Brandal has orchestrated significant visions of both seasonal & dimensional shift in his soundcraft. Likewise, ‘Secrets of the Snow’ weaves a tableaux of wilderness abandonment, sentient mycelia, and complex drone-frequencies emitted via planetary groans. Capturing these rich, subtle intimations on tape comes only with the extensive focus and practice Andreas Brandal is suspected to have had in those groves of intrigue he coaxes from perennially. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c43 tapes with double-sided color jcard and insert."

Yek Koo- I Saw Myself c27

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "A lone voice etches straight to dictaphone the vibrations which have been petrified far too long in mere stone & silicone. Identity awoken in a night of raw fidelity, this oracle’s expression inhabits trance tones and punk-chant poesis. Gouge out your eye and trade it in for better ears, because Helga Fassonaki’s solo project Yek Koo is back after a nearly two-year hiatus. Quite a spirited fever has accumulated since this half of LA’s Metal Rouge performed her ‘Psychic Atonement for Land Deaths’ on Digitalis. ‘I Saw Myself’ shatters any restricting Mirror of our species with Yek Koo’s dynamically expanded vocal range and we are left freed, finding peace among the shards and surrender in the pieces. Special hand numbered edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c27 tapes with double-sided die cut color jcard and insert."

Sean McCann- Open Resolve c43

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Confounding expectations and annihilating boundaries, ‘Open Resolve’ is not only Sean McCann’s 3rd time back on Stunned, but its also his postcard from the utter edge. Hummingbird-speed cymatics liquefy the scaffolds of time in anticipation of a completed simulacrum. A flickering, sizzling future-spew for me & for you. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c43 tapes with double-sided color jcard and insert."

Sudden Oak- Banquet Years c30

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Ever since watching them torch down LA’s Echo Curio in 2008, John Ward & Matt Erickson of Sudden Oak have been our favorite Frisco free-sound bruisers. This cassette might come as a surprise turn even for those privy to the duo’s own Bezoar Formations imprint and its periodic outflow of Sudden Oak tapes and discs. A further refining of their road-toughened scuzz, ‘Banquet Years’ turns in a document of whiskey-soaked saxophone lurch and boogie guitar slime-motions. These two ataxic modalities are without individual agenda, fusing into a singular badass voice which is equally comfortable commanding a bulb-glaring bunker as it is crashing the narcotic pool party nextdoor. Bounce back & burn it proud. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c30 tapes with double-sided color jcard and insert."

Mark Bradley- Eternal CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Blackest Rainbow) "Another excellent release from Mark Bradley. Chilling spaced-out electronics that sounds like a really minimal take on Tangerine Dream. Electronic starbursts that cut out unexpectedly (but could happily pulsate on for hours), deep bass explorations and long lunar notes. Very '70s and very unsettling, this would be a perfect soundtrack for a bleak outer-space horror film."

Rambutan/Chapels- split c59

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Kindred wielders of the guitar electric, Eric Hardiman of Rambutan and Adam Richards of Chapels are back for a second time this year on Stunned, and with good reason. Both consistently excavate load after load of deep-listening paydirt from their upstate NY studios. Rambutan initiates descent on this split by carving lush amp whispers before Holland Hopson stops by for a halftime banjo & electronics breather. Eric’s rich brand of reverberant mystery-making is resumed for the remainder of the spool, a perfect preparation for Chapels’ intriguing B-side string sculptures. Beautifully haunting, this triplet of pieces by Adam is some of his most incandescent yet, riddled with bits of black gem & bright crystal. Just another night’s work for each of these miners, their complimentary flavors of ore hoisted out of dreamtime’s cavern into the light of day. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c59 tapes with double-sided color jcard and insert."

Antique Brothers & The Family Band- Digger Gold c63

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "A new hour-long Antique Brothers jam is enough to get excited about, but when sibling shredders Ged & Cy Gengras include The Family Band it’s a full-fledged Happening to be attended at all costs. Along with the Gengras bros. on ‘Digger Gold’, Caitlin C. Mitchell, Jake White, Jeremy Kelley, and Seth Kasselman of Warm Climate join together in cracking open the smelling salts for all seven of our chakras. It’s rare to find improvisers (family or not) willing to explore just about anywhere in soundspace together and still take their time to happily map each co-discovered step of the way. Getting out of hand and family reunions go quite hand-in-hand, so listen as these partiers’ charms and spells transform the occasion into group sonic alchemy. Noise melts into grooves like lead smelts into gold and we all go home richer, baby. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c63 tapes with double-sided color jcard."

Padna- Metal Hurlant/Farmer's Hearth CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Nat Hawks from Padna reports: 'Last winter I went home with no music equipment and when I arrived was invited to play a show the next week. So I went into my closet at my folks' house and found all manner of old, broken sound toys. This is an elaborate recreation of the set I did for that show. Also, at the time, my father was getting heart surgery, which resulted in the conflicting emotions of holiday brightness (Metal Hurlant) and dark contemplations (Farmer's Hearth).' Limited edition of 111 stamped cdrs with color cover and double-sided insert in vinyl jacket."

Connector- STEEL/RUST c50

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Carnal energy meets primal masculinity meets 360 tons of public-art-installation STEEL. Entering the belly of this beast for two separate midnight sessions, Bryce Loy (Abaddon Records) and Peter Lamons scratch and beat the RUST nearly clean off their instrument of creation/object of destruction. This is Connector — both the name of the experimental percussion project of Bryce & Peter’s, debuting on this cassette, as well as the name of a Richard Serra mega-sculpture erected last year in the belly of yet another beast: Orange County, California. The Connector duo’s pacing and control is tremendous within Serra’s massive acoustical space over both their 25-minute sides. The intimate sounds of crickets, heaving breath, and torqued steel moans are given just as much footing as vocal eruptions & volcanic percussions upon the 66-foot-tall sculpture sides. No electricity. No effects. Just the quickening of sweat, absorption of metallic shock, and shedding of blood in a thrilling attempt to locate one of the deepest ancestral rites — discovery though smashing shit up. Special edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c50 tapes with double-sided jcard and foldout color insert."

Analog Concept- Impressions CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Alexey Pushkin of Analog Concept made his inaugural visit to America last summer with audio recorder in tow, capturing as many natural city sounds in NYC as possible before returning home to Russia to edit these source tapes. What resulted from this intricate documentation is ‘Impressions’ — an album quite unlike anything we’ve heard in recent memory. As Analog Concept navigates lonely subway tunnels, bustling city parks, and ominously desolate corridors, his layered travelogue yields to borderline-subliminal synth accentuations. Never entirely unaffected field recording, never entirely a formal synthesizer composition, this one sits on our shelf marked ‘unclassifiable’, and we’re delighted to offer it here for your own unique collection. Special edition of 111 cdrs with double sided color sandwich-covers in vinyl jacket."

Beru- What Would I Do Without You c48

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

On her cassette debut as Beru, Jessica Collins unravels a new American folk. What Would I Do Without You is both touched and untouched by tradition, mending the pieces of the world around her in collage. I first saw her destroying drums in the skronk-prov band Cat People, took a photo, and she unknowingly became the logo for TRHP. But as Beru, the LA-via-Georgia songwriter disembodies dub-noise, haunted gospel and improvised folk in loving, sinister ways. Her pastoral drones journey heavenward and pull the silver lining to Earth, collecting songs in the chaos. Limited edition of 100 pro-dubbed and imprinted c48 tapes with artwork by Kevin Phillips printed on vellum paper.

Robe.- Remains Of A Burning World c76

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

When Dante stood in the dark wood, perhaps contemplating his final evening, Virgil came to his side and shown him Inferno. Standing at its gates, Dante must have immediately seen the souls stirred by the storms beyond Limbo. Remains of a Burning World is that storm, an unrelenting, swarming gust of unforgiving doom. The duo of Robe. have repeatedly proven themselves masters of evil drone with releases on Small Doses, Blackest Rainbow, House of Alchemy and their own Tragic Creature. More than any other Robe. release, Remains is the duo's most considered, methodically stretching worn carcasses with ease rather than a full assault. Limited edition of 100 pro-dubbed and imprinted c76 tapes with full color jcard and vellum insert.

Mothguts- III CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

There is a sanctum filled with crimson bile. With bleeding ears and bleeding eyes, a devil jazz quartet lures you up the stairs. It's a chaotic Anal Cunt-fueled path of destruction that, at times, actually swings. Taking cues from extreme free-jazz outfits like Painkiller and Last Exit, New Jersey's Mothguts is what happens when jazz shanks a metal vokillist and replaces him with a squalling saxophonist. In this case, it's Anthony Ware (sax), Mike Noordzy (bass), Ben Ross (drums) and Chris Welcome (guitar). III includes such future hits as "Knife Rape," "The Nacht Time Is The Racht Time" and "Jizz Factory." Limited edition of 150 pro-printed CDRs with heavy cardstock cover housed in vinyl jacket. First 50 copies come with a Mothguts sticker.

Padna- Siberia / Hinterland c56

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Geiger counters, crystal radio sets, sonar consoles, and broken walkie talkies chatter their way through a binary snowdrift on the opening side of ‘Siberia/Hinterland’. Chilly, spooked, and Siberian for sure, but it could just as well be an eerie code transmitted from the dark side of Pluto. Who knows? Brooklyn’s Nat Hawks might begin to answer, as he is the purported brains behind this sprawling enigma. He’s also responsible for running the totally fresh label LittleFuryThings and performing in avant NY outfits like Christian Science Minotaur. Clearly, his solo Padna role is no stranger to wrangling strange cargo such as found at the front of this c56. Side B’s ‘Hinterland’ reciprocates these anti-drone motions with a brightened palate of its own. Seven protean orchestrations run a whole rainbow range of opaque tones. Both sides of Padna’s coin are landed on throughout the trip, flipping from dark atmospheres to warped merrymaking at a whim. Being introduced to these creations has definitely been one of the highlights of Stunned HQ’s listening year, and echoes of the Padna endeavor are bound to be near. Limited edition of 100 pro-dubbed & imprinted c56 tapes with insert card and double-sided color jcard."

Donato Epiro- Sounding the Sun CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Over the course of ‘Sounding the Sun’, Italian psych magician Donato Epiro aims his wand in all directions of the acoustical field, doing his best chameleon’s dance with drums, flute, chanting, and strings. An impressive dynamism is in play when Donato takes his bonfire percussion & fluttering raga loops, then swiftly braids them down to stilled passages of minimalist vibration. It’s a blissful abduction of the ear’s attention/perception, harnessed to a pervasive feeling of time running backwards as the album spins forward. A beautiful and unpredictable escape to some far off sunny fields of a magical land long, long ago. Limited edition of 100 hand stamped cdrs with double-sided insert card & color cover in vinyl jacket."

Layne Garrett- Growing Through CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(self-released) Layne Garrett is a Washington, D.C.-based guitarist, instrument inventor, house show coordinator and all-around swell dude. As an improviser, he favors found objects, environmental surroundings and metal-based creations, but on Growing Through, Garrett focuses on a series of guitars, especially a National Resonator. The recordings explore just as much terrain as Garrett's other exploits, piecing Tetuzi Akiyama-style demento-blues with subtle tabletop guitar noise. Each CDr comes beautifully packaged, taking inspiration from the two-part improvisation, "Tree Trunk Ringed in Concrete." Erin Bernard painstakingly embossed, painted and sewed each copy with said tree in over-sized, handmade envelopes -- NOT ONE IS ALIKE.

Magnetic North Duo- Midnight Safari Blues CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Sindre Bjerga and Nils Rostad hunt down roomfuls of skittish warbles & waves over 3 separate live performances collected here for their sophomore offering ‘Midnight Safari Blues.’ Having debuted together as a duo earlier this year on Tape Drift with the excellent ‘Static Fields Forever’, the two indicated a shift in Norway’s free-noise priorities. This is resonance that wants to be held and sculpted like soft clay. One might suggest Bjerga’s minimalist electronic peppering and Rostad’s dream-drunk guitar act like handfuls of yeast thrown into the otherwise limp loaf of roomtone that’s encountered by every performer upon first stepping into their show space. Every contrasting string pluck and layered sinusoid create a little air pocket allowing the listener to breathe moment-to-moment, unsure of when the next alignment will arrive. This welcomes in an ever-evolving interplay of active & passive improv structures, and a reflection of an audile world which folds organically into night’s magnetic center. Hand numbered edition of 100 stamped cdrs with full color sleeve & double sided insert card in vinyl jacket."

Torture Corpse- Particular Sufferings c46

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "It’s close to a few minutes before the end of Side A that you might sense it. A true sonic confrontation with the Big One. That’s right — death. The ol’ grim reaper, grasping his sharpened scythe. Dust to dust, worm’s food. Mortified matter oozing from the stereo speakers. And so, our first confrontation with Torture Corpse’s debut release ‘Particular Sufferings’ was a heavy, heavy affair indeed. We felt beauty and awe, we felt dread, we laughed, we damn nearly cried. In addition to such visceral gut reactions, we became increasingly convinced that very few musicians maintain such master-level control as TC’s Robert Kroos displays over these weighty 46 minutes. This is deep bardo death bliss from Holland hung on a thematic scaffolding of the Buddhist hell realms and their respective inhabitants. Torture Corpse could have merely crafted a depressing literal interpretation of these dim zones even the grimmest of us rarely glimpse at. But instead he infuses these prickly places with an insightful, affirming poise. It’s a bold testament to fearless artistry which wields the flame of creative consciousness through both blistering noise blackness & ambient White Light floating. Funny all this talk of the dead, then, for something so thrilling and ultimately lifelike at the end of the day. Limited edition of 100 pro-dubbed and imprinted c46 tapes with double-sided color jcard."

Nicholas Szczepanik- The Chiasmus CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(SRA/Basses Frequencies) "Nicholas' debut CD is much more than an impeccably constructed piece of abstract drone music: The Chiasmus undulates between waves of quiet melancholy and overwhelming beauty, with small slices of pointillistic noise. an album where the emotional response is always the central focus rather then pure aesthetic concerns, the nuances of The Chiasmus are only revealed upon multiple listens; by then, the listener is completely tuned into the world it presents. (Steven Flato)"

Pummeler / Derek Rogers- Juggernaut / Simmer c60

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "SIDE A: Denmark’s Pummeler wants nothing more than to tug at your arm like Virgil and then drop down together into an underworld of intrigue lit by rows of meter-tall candles. His ‘Juggernaut’ is a relic remaining from some ancient struggle between maddened monks and shadowy succubae for turf within an alternative purgatory. Here, lava-thick vocals of abandon fume in spires toward an unresponsive midnight. Navigation through the columns of rotted wire & dank-as-hell electronic mantra of Pummeler may be tricky at times, but between us and Dante, we have some good guides on both sides of the historical divide. Look for Pummeler on tour through the UK this September with Shiggajon & Claus Haxholm! SIDE B: I first met Derek Rogers while on tour through Austin with Magic Lantern in March. We found ourselves mutually stoked to be in a city that rightly prides itself as a mecca of southwest american weirdness, and the demo he passed on seems like the perfect reflection of that time & place. Rogers’ noise/synth jamz can either be scorching as a Texas brushfire, or glimmering in crystal refracted oasis-stasis. Either way, the casios are coolly bent, the tape loops are locked, and things go straight into gummy unreality in the plastic-melting mirage of ‘Simmer’. Look for Derek on tour in California this August playing with Al Qaeda & Mike Watt! This split c60 is a limited edition of 100 pro-dubbed & imprinted tapes with collaged double-sided jcard and cardstock insert."

Fabric / Sparkling Wide Pressure- Late Clothes / Blue Doorways c62

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "SIDE A: An ear tuned toward the miniature sounds that form the larger patchwork of heard Existence. A summoning of the shadows that hang everywhere, yet are never noticed. Hard describing what is ultimately an indescribable and most welcome collection of enviro-tactile play here by Cleveland’s best kept secret. Matthew Mullane is the polymathic alter ego behind Fabric, who delivers ‘Late Clothes’ as an integral part of a broader stroke in the approach to his craft. This includes museum curation & advocacy, live performance, academic writing and publishing poetry. This side also arrives after 4 years of field recording and six-string development, working from a spectrum of sound sources that stake out common ground in REM sleep-syntax. Carefully experiencing each successive piece on ‘Late Clothes’ reveals the simultaneous presence of distant memories and intimate sounds, co-operating toward truly hypnagogic ends. SIDE B: ‘Blue Doorways’ feels like a new escalator on the cosmic scene – always in gliding ascent, paced for those who like the ride up stoney, but not stoned. Hazed, but not crazy. Just lifting through the smog of civilization’s concerns, then past the satellite litter ring around our globe, through a swiss cheese ozone, and finally into deep space. Tilt on back. Sparkling Wide Pressure has done this before (see: Stunned no. 20). He will continue to do it again. Much like Fabric who shares this cassette, SWP’s Frank Baugh has his finger in a number of pies juicy-n-large. He’s an art educator, Kimberly Dawn label leader, accomplished painter, and all-around contact man for any badass haps in Tennessee. Yes, this was a set-up. ‘Blue Doorways’, along with ‘Late Clothes’, is the yin-yang pill we’ve been dying to pop all summer. This split c62 is a limited edition of 100 pro-dubbed & imprinted tapes with collaged double-sided jcard and cardstock insert."

Nodolby- c32

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Stunned) "Nodolby is one of the few acts of recent times that can still give us a remarkable thrill, harkening back to days earlier in this decade when ‘noise’ meant the gloves coming off and all you could do was brace yourself for the impending shockwaves. Dokuro Records boss Mic Scariot has been refining his Nodolby circuits to the side of his long-running group Ent, and lately this solo show seems to be surging ahead with an unexpected bumper harvest of psychoactive sizzlers. The untitled c32 proudly presented here has been marinated in acid rain and tastes nasty when it wants to be. But at moments it pauses its wild sensory-max'd climbing entirely to siphon streams of irradiated drone glory into our midst. Of all Nodolby’s output we’ve heard, this cassette shows a particular devotion to the neon awe that accompanies a mind existing fully outside of time, surging where it wills at the speed of sound. A thrill indeed. Hand numbered edition of 100 pro-dubbed & imprinted c32 tapes in light blue shells w/ double-sided color jcard."

I Heart Lung / DWMTG- Ecstatic Jazz Duos LP

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

Second installment in the series. I Heart Lung (Chris Schlarb: guitar, Tom Steck: drums) pummels through three symphonies for riots on the A-side, taking cues from Yes, "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and Sonny Sharrock. Side B features the band Thurston Moore named his favorite bass/drums duo a few years back: DWMTG (Dale W. Miller: drums, Tony Gordon: bass). They run through 10 scrambling miniatures with a smart sense of humor you don't hear much in free-improv these days.

The Pistil Cosmos- A Long Figure in a Dreamlike Place CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

With releases on Blackest Rainbow, Peasant Magik, Stunned and others, Vincent Caylet sculpts shamanistic psychedelic-drones. He records with the acid-folk-drone duo Monks of the Balhill and solo as "V," but under this concurrent solo project, the Frenchman reflects a roughly hewn ambience as The Pistil Cosmos. The six untitled tracks that make up A Long Figure in a Dreamlike Place do just that: It's a vision of a spindly creature on a hill, walking into the fog. Screeching feedback permeates with harsh beauty, raindrop loops develop like flowers blooming and wilting all at once, synths worship at a hidden sun, and Caylet emits wordless chants, summoning more clouds. Pro-printed CDr comes in a mylar sleeve with an all-vellum insert. Edition of 100.

Bright Duplex- Strawberry Trust CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

Vanessa Rossetto first knocked us out with a trio of CDrs on her own Music Appreciation label. Her violin/viola improvisations and compositions saw through drones in the way Tony Conrad conjures multiple waves of sound just from one instrument. And when accompanied by electronics, Rossetto uses feedback as a terrifying weapon. Her duo with fellow Austinite Matthew Armistead (drums, percussion, clarinet) is an exercise in taut communication. Bright Duplex delights in little percussion clatters, hiccuping gongs, snares rubbed raw, wild reed melodies and strings bowed hard against the wood. When the duo reaches a climactic paramount, the drones thunder from temples like Taj Mahal Travellers. Pro-printed CDr comes in a mylar sleeve with artwork by Matthew Armistead printed on heavy cardstock and a vellum wrap-around. Edition of 100.

Oaken Throne #4 Zine

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

Decided it was high time to represent some metal at TRHP and what better way than with Oaken Fuckin' Throne? Absolutely killer black/silver/white illustrations and interviews with black metal bands by writers who know what they're talkin' about. ESSENTIAL READING. #4 includes interviews with Black Boned Angel, Celestiial, Graves At Sea, Nachtmystium, Vorkrest, Wolves in the Throneroom, etc., and album reviews.

v/a- Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow Vol. 1 CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Sound & Fury) "Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow, Vol.1 marks the beginning of an ongoing series of loosely-themed sound&fury compilations. First time out, the focus is on processed instruments (Part Timer, Aaron Martin), microsound (Machinefabriek, Spartak) & the prettier end of the drone spectrum (Jasper TX, Gareth Hardwick)." Pretty fantastic comp housed in recycled gatefold sleeve.

Shoeb Ahmad- Vinyl Sketches 3" CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Sound & Fury) "Shoeb Ahmad throws piano notes against a wall of digital effects, assembling the resultant shards into delicate miniature sound sculptures. The six beautiful, fragmentary pieces that make up Vinyl Sketches make us very glad to know Shoeb." Comes in beautiful handmade envelope sealed in wax.

Long Legged Woman- Nobody Knows This is Nowhere LP

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

RESTOCK (Pollen Season) Before three members of Long Legged Woman packed up and left Athens for San Francisco (leaving Gabe to turn folkie), they recorded what seems like both a farewell and an introduction. Finally seeing a proper release more than a year later, Nobody Knows This is Nowhere (note the Neil Young nod, also not a bad reference point if you know your Rust) bashes heads with gritty ecstasy, picking up on the youthful abandon heard in today's weirdpunk bands like Eat Skull, yet somehow remains tied to the South... the sweltering, delirious and wonderful South. And dammit if that doesn't make me happy. This is the regular edition, same great music: different design, two-color screenprint on raw kraft folders, still DIY style.

Vaka- Kappa Delta Phi CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Murkhouse) "Epic and heavy doom rock with a slightly progressive twist from Sweden. With inventive drumming and heavy use of piano, this is a fresh take on the post-metal style that has quickly become overrun by Isis and Pelican clones. On this album, mainman Karl Daniel Lidén is joined by an array of guest musicians from around the world to make this a highly collaborative venture. Mastered by John Golden, who has done mastering for such bands as the Melvins, Neurosis, Weedeater, and Primus. This should appeal to fans of bands like Isis, Neurosis, Mare, Opeth, and even Nine Inch Nails. Packaged in a gorgeous 6-panel digipak made of recycled and environmentally friendly materials and printed using soy-based inks!"

Gathiens- Nesh CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Murkhouse) "Heavy, psychedelic, instrumental rock music. Recorded in the summer of 2006, this gem sat dormant for some time before we picked it up as our first full-length release, though it briefly attracted the attention of Battle Kommand Records. Strong guitar playing with big chords and memorable melodies is paired with a backbone of sweetly technical drumming, with a delicate layer of cinematic ambience over the top. The whole album has a strong sense of dynamics, having an almost classical feel to it. Compared to bands such as Isis, Boris, Pelican, Tool, and even Pink Floyd; Gathiens possess a delicacy and intricacy that many post-metal bands lack. Packaged in a deluxe 6-panel folding CD wallet made of 100% recycled materials and printed using soy-based inks."

Bohemian Grove- Age of Retrogression CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Hyperblasted) "Five tracks of dark furious riffing, monumental voices and excellent drumming / bass lines. Forty minutes of corrupted art. Nothing more, just Black Metal." Great debut from the Greek band on 6-panel digipak featuring awesome artwork from Justin Bartlett.

Human Larvae- Home is Where the Hurt Is CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

(Existence Establishment) "Introducing the debut full-length of this new Dresden based heavy industrial/power electronics unit following his 3 inch CDR on Silken Tofu. Taking cues from styles as diverse as the cinematic Navicon Torture Technologies and grungy lo-fi ...Today I'm Dead, Human Larvae delivers an emotional torrent of self-destructive force with Home is Where the Hurt Is. Spanning a running time of over an hour, styles range from rhythmic orchestral industrial to bleak passages of black noise with a good dosage of throbbing feedback and scathing vocals. There is some sick twisted narrative to be found here but the search for these mysterious happenings will bring you to places you may never return from. "

Gay Africa- Pizzaze! CDr EP

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

Bedded with the drone of an electronic raagini, Dark Meat offshoot Gay Africa completely improvises "Dream Cables," a 20-minute raga-rocker. Jim McHugh is in Richard-Thompson-channeling-Ravi-Shankar mode with a trio behind him kicking up the dirt and celebrating the spirits. The packaging is really something on this one, too. Each copy is entirely unique: hand-painted by Kate Burnet on reused, cut-up vinyl jackets. The insert is an origami fortune teller folded from old maps.

Gene Janas & Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut- RAY-GUN 3" CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

Gene Janas' main gig with the fire-jazz unit Owl Xounds seems to be on temporary hiatus, so RAY-GUN is a welcome venture into a new language. Janas grunts spoken word over the squeal of his upright while Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut moves around the alto sax, trumpet and piano, playing colors outside/through/above the lines. This is some serious cleansing music. Black artwork printed onto 5"x5" heavy red cardstock folded into a sturdy mylar sleeve.

Nick Hennies- Paths CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

Weird Weeds percussionist (and one-time Jandek drummer) Nick Hennies offers up his first recording for no-input mixer. The 24-minute work echoes Hennies' studious improvisational approach with careful shifts of high-pitched feedback and his attention to (a)tonal in/sensitivity. Artwork by Andrew Drummond printed on heavy cardstock with a dark blue gel slipped into a mylar sleeve to reveal the text.

v/a- Last Winter We Didn't Sing CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

This new compilation features winter-inspired music from the likes of Scott Tuma (ex-Souled American), The Instruments (Elephant 6 cellist Heather McIntosh), pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn, Greg Davi, Beggin' Your Pardon Miss Joan, Fabio Orsi, Nicholas Szczepanik and Chartreuse. It's a somber, reflective and sometimes haunting take on the season with a beautiful illustration by Ariel Kitch screen-printed on eco paks by Sire Press.

Talibam! / Wasteland Jazz Unit- Ecstatic Jazz Duos LP

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

First installment in the Ecstatic Jazz Duos series. Multi-part, proggy King Crimson destruction on the A-side and total reed distortion dragged through shards of filth on the flip.

Chartreuse- No More Paths to Sounder Sleep CD + 3" CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:35 -0600

On the debut CD from Chartreuse, guitar melodies are weighed down by the murky and melancholic bliss of strings and loops swarming the headphones. The organ drones seep through the earth as if heard by a tape recorder buried underground. No More Paths to Sounder Sleep is a trance-inducing soundtrack to the end of the night. SPECIAL EDITION. Stenciled and stamped artwork on arigato pak with a bonus 3" CDr of an early Chartreuse demo. HAND-NUMBERED & LIMITED TO 200.

Chartreuse- No More Paths to Sounder Sleep CD

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

Ecstatic Jazz Duos Subscription (N. America Orders)

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

SHIPPING INCLUDED ON THIS ITEM. Ships now: Talibam / Wasteland Jazz Unit LP, I Heart Lung / DWMTG LP. The Ecstatic Jazz Duos Series collects six of the most innovative duos in the avant-jazz/free-noise realm on three LPs. We're offering a limited subscription to the whole series that includes all three 12"s plus stickers, buttons, and a CDr of exclusive content only available to subscribers. Incredible series design by Cristopher Cichocki. In the series: Talibam!, Wasteland Jazz Unit, I Heart Lung, DWMTG, Valerio Cosi & Enzo Franchini, Jeremiah Cymerman & Matthew Welch.

Ecstatic Jazz Duos Subscription (International Orders)

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

SHIPPING INCLUDED ON THIS ITEM. Talibam / Wasteland Jazz Unit LP ships now. The Ecstatic Jazz Duos Series collects six of the most innovative duos in the avant-jazz/free-noise realm on three LPs. We're offering a limited subscription to the whole series that includes all three 12"s plus stickers, buttons, and a CDr of exclusive content only available to subscribers. Incredible series design by Cristopher Cichocki. Series includes: Talibam!, Wasteland Jazz Unit, I Heart Lung, DWMTG, Valerio Cosi & Enzo Franchini, Jeremiah Cymerman & Matthew Welch.

Long Legged Woman- Something is Pressing Against It from the Inside 7"

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

The four-dude Long Legged Woman barrels through a bombastic trash-punk anthem on the A-side and a Syd Barrett downer-pop gem on the flip. Pressed on random-colored marble vinyl.

nicolasTone- I'M TONE DEAF (musicpourlessourds) 3" CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

Pulses heavy electronic beats alongside manipulated audio and cut-up fire-jazz sax squawks and battling war drums. "... a bombastic tantrum of rattling percussion ala Ettrick with extra limbs." -Animal Psi

Totally Dad- New Black Draughms CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

Some seriously blown-out blues, deranged scuzz-rock and destroyed improv from Brooklyn’s Totally Dad. Listening to New Black Draughms‘ sewage-clogged rawk, you get the impression that an instrument is beaten senseless every time a song ends, and by the close of the album, there’s just nothing left.

The Green Knight- The Eternal OM CS

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

Bong-hit noise scrapple from Jeff Rahuba (Long Legged Woman) and Doug Patterson (Better People). Abrasive tape manipulations fall down the stairs in paranoid murmurs. A longing for times past when majik and pagan rites were employed in direct communion with the forces of nature.

better people- salvia inside the broken home CDr EP

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

Athens' Doug Patterson's audio destruction in a perfect dose. "… a sonic manipulation of a drag strip race." - Foxy Digitalis

SFCD- How Saint Francis Tamed the Very Fierce Wolf of Gubbio CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

Gubbio moves through raging Fushitsusha guitar feedback, meditative and metallic drone destroyed by battle drums, and a skewed blues reprieve.

Sweet Teeth- From the Fourth Hand... CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

Sweet Teeth combines both the sounds and members of Dark Meat and Long Legged Woman — clusterpsych classic-rock tendencies paired with hypnotic avant-rock.

v/a- Deeded to Itself: Athens Southernoise CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

Deeded to Itself documents the bloody grit and kudzu-scuzz from or around Athens, Georgia. Features exclusive tracks from Altruizine, Telenovela, Chartreuse, Garbage Island, Long Legged Woman, Orthopedics, Killick, better people and Sailor Winters.

Mad Onion Burger- Talking Anus Cowboy 3" CDr

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:40:36 -0600

Haunting free-associative spoken/screamed mindjobs filtered through unnecessary echo with damaged turntablism.